Women Changing India

Barnard College of Columbia University presents

The Fourth Annual Global Symposium

Women Changing India

Friday, March 16, 2012
Trident, Nariman Point
Mumbai, India

Barnard College of Columbia University held its fourth symposium, Women Changing India, in Mumbai on March 16, 2012 at the Trident, Nariman Point. As the world’s largest democracy and free-market economy and a vibrant global center of arts, India proved an ideal place for discussions on women's leadership and education related to social activism, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Over 400 people attended the day-long event, including women from all over India as well as Barnard students, alumnae and faculty. Speakers included Vedika Bhandarkar, Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Credit Suisse in India; Kiran Bedi, reformer and India's first woman police officer; Shaheen Mistri, Founder, Teach for India; Mirai Chatterjee, Director of Social Security at SEWA; Gita Sen, Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore; Brinda Somaya, architect and conservationist; Zia Mody, corporate lawyer and businesswoman; Farah Khan, film director and choreographer; Mallika Kapur, CNN's International Correspondent; Nandita Das, actress and activist; Shaina NC, fashion designer and politician; and Chhavi Rajawat, Sarpanch of Soda, among others.

In March 2013, Barnard's Global Symposia Series continues in Brazil. Check back for more information in Fall 2012.

In March, theatre professor Shayoni Mitra will travel to Mumbai, India, to participate in Barnard’s fourth annual global symposium, “Women Changing India.” While there, she and Barnard’s six Global Symposia fellows will visit Sangli, a rural community on the border of India’s Maharashtra province, to spend a day with a collective of sex workers who use theatre to help women assert their rights.

Barnard Selects Global Symposium Student Fellows

The Office of International Programs is pleased to announce Barnard’s Global Symposium Student Fellows. These students will travel to India in March to attend Women Changing India and assist with a leadership workshop for high school students from around Mumbai. Read more about the selected students.